Part one of the Dancing With the Stars finale kicked off tonight with a fierce performance from the three finalists Melissa Rycroft, Shawn Johnson, and Kelly Monaco, plus an appearance by the Fierce Five.

"We're going to rehearsal after this," Melissa told us. "It's not over yet. I could not be happier. Who would have thought that night one after the finals we would be in first place with a perfect score? I didn't!"

"I couldn't possibly be more proud," raved her partner Tony Dovolani. "It's been seven years—this season made me forget about all the other seasons I had difficulties with."

"There is something liberating about going out there, putting it all on the dance floor and having it be out of your hands now," Shawn told us. "It feels really good."

"This whole season we haven't been dancing for three people, we've been dancing for the viewers," Derek Hough responded when we asked about their 8.5 wrist slap from judge Len Goodman. "That was one of their favorite dances so if that's what they want, that's what we're going to give them."

Hey—we totally dug their performance! And so did the Fierce Five who made a cameo.

"It means so much to me having them out here," Shawn said about the support of her teammates. "I've trained for three years with them and when I couldn't be part of that and had success and went huge from there—for them to take time and support me it's really cool to share that moment with them."